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- 08/14/2011, 07:43PM ET
2012 Super Bowl Tournament: AFC Divisional Round: Texans (me) vs Patriots (you)
Dyhard is a certified stoner said 08/14, 07:43 PM
The Texans have improved on the defensive side of the ball making their pass defense sit in the middle of the pack by adding Jonathan Joseph from the Cincinnati Bengals and Danieal Manning from the Chicago Bears.
The Texans have a great offensive balance with a top passing game in the NFL with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson leading the way, while they have a great rushing game too with Arian Foster putting up 1600+ yards last season.
The Patriots posted up the worst passing defense in the NFL last season and haven't made any improvements there to try to help that.
Matt Schaub is going to have a field day against the poor Patriots' passing defense and Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster will all have good days in receiving.
The defensive front seven for the Texans is very dangerous as well, especially when you add ex-Badger JJ Watt to the mix. Watt was an animal at Wisconsin and one of the best DEs in NCAAF last season. Bringing him into the setting with Mario Williams opposite him, most likely, with DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing behind him, the rushing game of the Patriots isn't going to have much fun.
JimJ77 Can't make it up said 08/14, 11:53 PM
I take issue with you saying the Patriots had the worst passing defense in the NFL last season because it was actually Houston who had the worst.
Houston was last in passing defense, 3rd worst in total defense, and 4th worst in scoring defense giving up 8 points a game more then NE.
Not a good match-up for the best QB in football in and the #1 scoring team in the NFL.
NE has upgraded on the defensive side with many additions to the defensive line. They also are adding Bodden back to the lineup, who was their #1 corner before last season, and is only 29. Paired up with McCourty who is a top 10 corner in football, and the Pats have strengthened themselves on the defensive side.
Schaub has never led his team to the playoffs, and Tom Brady has a record of 125-37 as a starter. And you expect Schaub to lead his team to victory over NE?
I expect Belichick to scheme up on a defensive gameplan to stop Johnson and the running game, and make Schaub beat them elsewhere.
Brady will dissect the pathetic Houston defense and embarrass a team that was 6-10 last season.
The Houston Texans have nothing on the NE Patriots and I expect Belichick and Brady to be too much for them.
Dyhard is a certified stoner said 08/15, 12:54 PM
So if the Patriots defense was so good last season, why did the pass defense rank 30th in the NFL? Why did teams throw all over the Patriots?
Why was a back-up QB, like Matt Flynn, able to have the game of his life against the Patriots with a "top 10 corner in football"?
Adding the defensive line is always nice, but it doesn't help the pass defense, especially when the secondary needs a lot of extra work.
Since Schaub has never been on a team that's made the playoffs while Brady has had good teams around him, that means that Schaub can't get the job done? Against a horrible secondary, Schaub is going to have a lot of fun.
With the secondary struggles the Patriots are going to have again this season, Belichick scheme up a defensive gameplan to attempt to stop Johnson and Schaub isn't going to work very well. Johnson will have a field day and Schaub will be able to throw where he wants without problems.
The Texans were 6-10 last season because of the poor pass defense. Since they've improved that this offseason, the Texans are going to be a much better team. The "pathetic" Houston defense is going to be middle of the pack in pass D and top 10 in rush D.
JimJ77 Can't make it up said 08/15, 02:27 PM
The Pats being ranked 30th against the pass can be attributed to a couple of factors. One is that the pass rush was not up to par. Here is where the upgrades on the defensive line helps the secondary. Getting pressure on the QB will relieve some of the stress on the secondary.
Another factor was the Pats were almost always well ahead in games. Teams needed to throw constantly to try and catch up. The Pats gave them all of the underneath stuff, and kept teams out of the endzone. The Pats were 8th best in points allowed.
Opposing QB's had a rating of 81.2 against NE, while they had a rating of 100.5 against Houston. The additions made by NE on the D line and getting Bodden back will outweigh the additions made by Houston. Houston has not closed the gap defensively on NE.
McCourty is a top 10 corner. He was 2nd in INT's and 7th in passed defended. Coming into his 2nd season he will be improved. Putting him on Johnson with safeties rolled to his side will slow down the Texans offense.
Brady had a rating of 111 last season, 5th best in history. He will absolutely shred the Texans horrible defense. The Pats bring back their entire offense. They will smoke Houston.
Dyhard is a certified stoner said 08/15, 05:13 PM
If you want to talk about pass rushes, you can look no further than the Texans and their excellent pass rushing tandem of Mario Williams and now JJ Watt. DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing are also good pass rushers.
When a back-up QB throws for 3 TDs and 251 yards against you towards the end of the season, even, you know you're in trouble.
Other notables that lit up this defense for big yards:
P. Manning
Big Ben
Palmer
Henne
Rivers
That's a huge sign of concern and they really haven't made any signings/picks to help the secondary.
Johnson will be able to eat McCourty alive, just like Johnson is able to do to any top receiver in the game.
Bringing up QB rating is irrelevant, especially since it's such a terrible statistic to use.
While Bodden returning is nice for the Patriots, what about Joseph signing with the Texans to improve the secondary? Or how about Manning signing from Chicago? While you say the Patriots secondary is going to improve, I still think they'll be in the mid-20s overall in the NFL while the Texans entire pass defense is going to be sitting in the middle of the pack (13-16).
Texans will win this battle in a shootout.
JimJ77 Can't make it up said 08/15, 07:04 PM
You know what two things the list of QB's you provided have in common? They all were down big to the Pats and had to throw every down, and they all LOST!
I have brought up the addition of Bodden to the secondary, but you have proceeded to ignore it. Bodden led the team with 5 INT's in 09 and had 18 passes defended, ranking him 8th in the NFL. I'd say they have improved the secondary with him back.
The Pats averaged 8 more point per game on offense, and 8 less on defense in comparison to Houston. My math isn't the best but that adds to 16 total points. Do you honestly think adding a corner and a safety is going to account for those 16 points? I don't.
Houston wasn't just bad on defense, they were historically bad. Now, they are changing to a 3-4 defense, which is quite a change, and they are doing it at the worst time due to the lockout.
And I think Belichick and Brady know how to beat a 3-4 defense.
If Brady could torch at great defense like Pittsburgh's, god only knows what he would do to a historically bad defense. He'll massacre them.
Bottom line is the Pats would have their way with Houston. Brady is 30-2 in his last 32 at home. Lets make it 31-2. Pats win.
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Comments (53) Add A Comment
Good luck Jim.
Dyhard is a…
Green Bay, WI
Total Comments (21184)
I'm gonna go with You.
(Un)
Inferiority Complex Group, FN
Total Comments (16667)
Yeah ok Texans had one good win last year and the rest they blew it. Shaub cant get it done with just one target and thats wh they rely on Foster too much. Patriots are multi dimensional and can kill you all over the field. They stocked up on defensive line and theyll get back leigh bodden who id better than butler. Mccourty is gonna be phenominal merriweather will be a nice presence too. I find this TD to be a joke. Patriots have proven way more than the texans.
Brady does it
Fall River , MA
Total Comments (26)
No, I'm going with him!
Assassin: Simile…
Total Comments (32925)
I don't see Houston being better than 14th or 15th defensively even with the improvements. I will wait for further arguments.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
Left.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
NE was 30th against the pass.
Houston gave up 33 passing TD's and had just 13 INT's.
The Pats gave up 25 passing TD's but had 25 INT's.
The Pats were young in the secondary and improved as the season went on.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
Also, the NE D was pretty solid all the way around, giving up only 19.6 pts per game (the only defensive stat that matters).
Houston on the other hand, was not so hot @ almost 27 ppg.
lexicondevil
Total Comments (734)
Yes.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
"4th worst in scoring defense giving up 8 points a game more then NE."
Sorry Jim,
I missed that.
lexicondevil
Total Comments (734)
Houston was god awful last year.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
I don't believe points allowed is the only defensive stat that matters. Mainly because it's not exclusively a defensive stat. It also includes points allowed on special teams (punt returns, kick returns, returns of blocked FG/punt) and offense (fumble recoveries, interceptions, safeties allowed).
(Un)
Inferiority Complex Group, FN
Total Comments (16667)
Half of them were.
If they can get that defense strait - (You'll have a hard time convincing me that Wade will fix that. He WAS an excellent DC, but the dude won't change his schemes and evolve w/the OC's in the league...which in the NFL is death, no matter how good you think you are.) - they might be scary good.
lexicondevil
Total Comments (734)
But it indicates a good Red Zone defense.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
They added some really good players to the secondary and the DL is pretty solid.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
MF was questioning the Philly LB's earlier.
DJRoxalot
Total Comments (108428)
Agreed. I was being extreme.
But still, even at that - the lower the better, right? It might obscure some D's numbers...but if your special teams can't tackle, the QB's throwing pick 6's all the time (which doesn't really apply to these two teams), and you can still keep under 21 pts a game - the D must be pretty good.
Your special teams, and offense, would have to be bad, bad, bad...to throw that number off, too much. That said - I realize there are exceptions to every rule.
Can anybody think of a team right now that would fit this (Great D - Turnover prone, horrible offense and special teams) description? I'm sure there is one - but I'm drawing a blank.
lexicondevil
Total Comments (734)
Brady will absolutely tear that defense apart with Welker, Ochocinco, Branch, Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Woodhead (maybe some other guys too if they break out, Tate Price etc, the latter of whom I expect to break out this year and take the starting job from branch.) Green Ellis is turning into a top RB in the league, and the pats offense will easily put up 30+ points on Houston.
The Pats defense is timely and makes plays when it needs to. The Pats don't give up a lot of points. That said, they improved a lot on the defensive line and have some really good linebackers. Their secondary should be really good with mcCourty, Bodden, Chung, and Meriweather.
Pats>Texans and it's not close
So far leaning right, as jim has the better first argument.
rsp
Total Comments (2261)
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